Fastlane III

[Craig H]

I feel like I should at least point out one other positive thing about the show. How about...Enzo only botched one thing that didn't really put Karl Anderson at risk. I love Enzo on the mic, but man do I loathe him in the ring. In this case though, he pretty much got his ass beat for that whole match and the finish was pretty slick, like it was some elite level NBA type shit. Anderson and Gallows would be a tremendous PG and PF combo.

Oh, and I found it amusing that Anderson can get away with having a Bullet Club hashtag on his kneepads. They won't do it, but it would be really cool if at some point soon they did a Bullet Club/The Club type angle across both brands with Anderson, Gallows, and someone else heading up the Raw brand and AJ and a tag team or two other dudes heading up the SDL brand.

[Kyuubi]

So anyone else popped when Cole said Braun was just so big and thick?

No just me? Yeah, I guess I am weird like that.

[Rehabilitated Rick]

I saw the finish coming a mile away but Strowman losing pissed me off so much more than anything else which speaks volumes for his progression in such a short period of time, fuckkk. You could say his inexperience cost him the match, I suppose, but this Reigns push can suck a fart, I know he needed to win to set up the Taker match, but why even go down that route in the first place.

Jack Gallagher is money, those headbutts are such a cool visual. 

[Craig H]

I've watched it a bunch and still can't figure it out. What is Gallagher doing to get that loud ass smacking sound on his headbutts?

[Dolfan in NYC]

I think he's smacking his belly while he's doing it.  I think I saw it on one of the last ones he did. 

[Kyuubi]

1 minute ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

I think he's smacking his belly while he's doing it.  I think I saw it on one of the last ones he did. 

It's his thigh

[Victator]

11 hours ago, sydneybrown said:

I've seen 10 minute Warrior/Andre matches.  Those two were doing the crowds a favor by ending their matches as soon as possible.

I disagree, thought Andre was a very smart worker and laid it out well. In particular the NBC match. 

 

11 hours ago, Craig H said:

Not on PPV, apparently because they couldn't help themselves from pointing that out. And if no one cared about Charlotte's PPV streak then they wouldn't have constantly brought that up too and fans wouldn't look to Bayley ending Charlotte's streak at WrestleMania since Bayley won the title on a nothing Raw. Hell, it's a main part of Charlotte's gimmick that she doesn't lose on PPV.

WWE definitely cared about it. But I don't think any of the fans did. As a record it is too nebulous. 

"I am undefeated on the sixth Thursday or the seventh year during an eclipse."

It was some typical chickenshit WWE booking. They wanted Charlotte to be undefeated but they wanted everyone to get a title reign. They should have had her definitively win the Banks feud and really made her unbeaten. 

So Bayley beats her twice but doesn't mean anything, because the title has more turn over than Saved By The Bell: The New Class cast. 

11 hours ago, Craig H said:

I simply can't fucking trust this company that they'll be able to push Braun forward after the loss and that Braun will be fine.

A guy with Braun's size and athleticism will be okay, but he should be much more. This is not insurmountable. 

But WWE really doesn't care. 

[Curt McGirt]

1 hour ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

He's basically dead tonight.   My only question is if she fires him outright or makes him fight Strowman first.

It'll be the SLAP OF DOOM and YOU'LL LIKE IT GODDAMMIT! *enormous snort*

[PetrolCB]

Show was blah. One thing that oddly annoyed me the most, was Sasha/Jax. Look, I don't like Nia, so it's a biased complaint to a degree, maybe. But, what fucking logic is it that Sasha gets her back worked over the whole time, only to win with a high-arching bridged roll-up (or whatever it's actually fucking called), like it's nothing? 

Like, that's gotta be Banks' fault for ignoring what happened 99% of the match, right? 

That and Roman's sneakers ruined the show for me. As well as, you know, all of it but the CW match. 

[Zac_Fu]

Here's something people might be forgetting. Last year WM got wasted by NXT Takeover. Maybe they're tanking on purpose because they're thinking they'll get shown up Again? Wild theory but I'll chuck it out there.

[PetrolCB]

1 minute ago, Zac_Fu said:

Here's something people might be forgetting. Last year WM got wasted by NXT Takeover. Maybe they're tanking on purpose because they're thinking they'll get shown up Again? Wild theory but I'll chuck it out there.

Unless they get Shaq Fu, Zac Fu, the show will be a dud. 

[Craig H]

Roman not only looked like he wrestled in sneakers, but sneakers and cargo pant joggers. Motherfucker, stop getting fashion advice from Brendan Schaub.

[ChrisM]

I actually liked the show. I get the anger of Goldberg winning, for sure, though. I will say this....looking at Goldberg and KO in the ring together, Goldberg looks like a star; tanned, athletic, intimidating. KO, who I'm a major fan of, just looks like some fat, pale, indie guy. 

 

 

[Burgundy LaRue]

8 hours ago, APO said:

Have to say I'm finding it highly amusing watching people crying over Owens' shit-ass title reign finally ending. Or Braun's albatross of a win streak. Or Charlotte's PPV streak.

Roman/Braun and the CW Title match were fantastic while the main was booked how it should've been booked. Rest wasn't all that good, but the only match that disappointed me was Bayley/Charlotte since it was the only one I had any expectations for. Oh well.

Yeah, KO's run as Universal champ was doomed from the start.  He didn't even win it, HHH did all the cheating and then handed him the belt like an old piece of beef jerky. Then for the next six months, KO and Jericho preceded to do a mid-card comedy act where KO came behind a scarf and a clipboard.  All that happened without Goldberg.

That's not to say I like the idea of a semi-retired wrestler beating a full-time guy who will likely be with WWE for the next decade. That sort of booking is why the company has issues building new stars.  But the problems surrounding KO have nothing to do with Goldberg.  Billy Boy was just a means to get out of the situation.

**************************

As for Reigns-Strowman: I thought it was a well-constructed match. Reigns really sold Braun's offense outside the 1-2 typical WWE hero spots. Strowman overpowered Roman throughout the match, and RR's usual arsenal wasn't getting the job done.  But Strowman didn't count on the guy being able/willing to take such an ass whupping. Roman won because he's the veteran of the two and has more in-ring knowledge. When Braun made a mistake, Reigns would capitalize.

And that's interesting, because it's been shown that Braun is no dummy. He'll learn and adapt.  He's got the physical skill set, he just needs the experience. Reigns will have to figure out a way to stay one step ahead of him.  Get his hands even dirtier. So if they continue to book him in that way, a future meeting between Roman and Braun should be even better.

Besides, they have clear WM plans for Reigns and almost nothing for Braun.  No sense in Roman losing heading toward the Undertaker. The guy hadn't won a PPV match since HIAC. It was time to correct that. Strowman can eliminate all 19 guys in the Andre Battle Royal and be back on track instantly.

**************************

The last 2-3 minutes of Bayley/Charlotte was iffy, but having Bayley be the one to beat Charlotte's streak has potential.  That has to stick in Sasha's craw. Bayley appears to be going along with Sasha's shenanigans for now. Eventually, Banks is going to lull Bayley into a false sense of security and use that friendship/naiveté against her to get the belt. That's not the way I would have told Bayley's story on the main roster, but it could work.

It's dependent on storytelling, and we know how that goes in WWE.  But that's been the case for years.  That problem didn't just pop up last night.

[Nice Guy Eddie]

2 hours ago, bink_winkleman said:

Besides, Goldberg is so thin skinned that if any crowd turns on him, it should lead to some pretty funny drama.

Somebody needs to show up with a sign that says Cane Gage Goldberg. Yes, Goldberg's son is named Gage. I think that's enough reason to hate his old man. Not that it would matter, the sign Nazis would confiscate said sign.

[Lacelle]

14 hours ago, The Green Meanie said:

The guy in the front row dressed like Bray had the wrong kind of hat on. Bray wears a fedora, and he was wearing a pork pie.

The only good match was the Cruiserweight Championship.

Bray actually wears a trilby.

[JohnnyJ]

2 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Somebody needs to show up with a sign that says Cane Gage Goldberg. Yes, Goldberg's son is named Gage. I think that's enough reason to hate his old man. Not that it would matter, the sign Nazis would confiscate said sign.

A sign with this entire explanation would be hysterical.

[Burgundy LaRue]

2 hours ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

Also, what the fuck was the point of Foley dressing down Samoa Joe before the women's match.  

Why are you putting the gun on the table if you're not going to shoot someone with it?  Jesus, people, storytelling isn't this hard. 

Samoa Joe is going to become the gun that 'kills' Foley.  Self-inflicted fatality, with an assist from Stephanie.

[Burgundy LaRue]

3 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Not that it would matter, the sign Nazis would confiscate said sign.

Uh, is using that N-word in connection to Goldberg a good thing?  Unless I'm missing your point.

[bink_winkleman]

I had no expectation of Braun winning (though it would be a welcome surprise), but it was the clean pin that was so senseless.

[MonteCarl]

They should have the Andre Battle Royal be basically a squash match for Braun at Mania. He clears house and wins the whole thing in 3 minutes.

[Nice Guy Eddie]

42 minutes ago, ChrisM said:

I will say this....looking at Goldberg and KO in the ring together, Goldberg looks like a star; tanned, athletic, intimidating. KO, who I'm a major fan of, just looks like some fat, pale, indie guy. 

 

 

Looking like a star is great and all until Goldberg is sucking wind walking to the ring and can't go over two minutes. Yet, the fat, pale indy guy can go an hour if needed.

[Niners Fan in CT]

I thought Sasha/Nia was the second best match on the show.  Sasha was bumping around, Nia looked like a monster, Sasha had some desperation attempts and won with a quick roll up. It was solid.

[Nice Guy Eddie]

10 minutes ago, Burgundy LaRue said:

Uh, is using that N-word in connection to Goldberg a good thing?  Unless I'm missing your point.

It has nothing to do with Goldberg being Jewish. My point was that WWE security would never let a Cane Gage Goldberg sign fly. That's unfortunate since watching Goldberg lose his mind over it would be quite the spectacle.

[Burgundy LaRue]

1 minute ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

It has nothing to do with Goldberg being Jewish. My point was that WWE security would never let a Cane Gage Goldberg sign fly. That's unfortunate since watching Goldberg lose his mind over it would be quite the spectacle.

That's fair.  I wasn't accusing you of anything, to be clear.  It just caught me for a loop. Being a multi-minority will do that to a person!